


Taking Chances

by TheHighWarlockOfVienna



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Attempt at Humor, Broadway, Broadway AU, Dancing and Singing, Director Alec Lightwood, First Meetings, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Musicals, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Singer Magnus Bane, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, There was no Malec Broadway AU so I wrote it myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-02-28 16:17:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHighWarlockOfVienna/pseuds/TheHighWarlockOfVienna
Summary: “But, your voice- it’s so-so…beautiful. It wasn’t as if you were singing, it was like you were speaking…right into my soul.”Alec's dreams of becoming a musical director were crushed when his parents disowned him for being gay. Magnus has always been dreaming about becoming a Broadway star but has failed every audition so far.So, when these two lonely souls stumble upon each other, they might realise that some dreams are worth fighting for...together.





	1. Our Seperate Lives

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but finally, here's the continuation (or for this chapter the prologue) for the oneshot I posted a while ago. Thank you for all your lovely support and feedback so far. I hope it won't disappoint. This will be a multi-chaptered fic, but I'll try my best to update regularly. For now, let's rejoice, fellow Malec shippers and musical lovers!

Do you ever just feel like the universe must hate you?

That’s all Magnus thought as he glared at the open letter in his hand.

_Dear Mr. Bane, thank you for your audition for_ Reborn: The Musical _. We had many promising applicants for the role of Cyrus Glen, so making it to the callbacks is an amazing achievement that speaks for your talent. However, we are very sorry to inform you that it will not be possible for us to cast you this season. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best for your future musical career._

Magnus didn’t know if he should be sad or angry. He knew being cast in a musical wasn’t something you’d achieve with the first try, but ever since he couldn’t count the number of rejections he had received with the two of his hands any more, it was getting out of hand, literally.

He decided for the latter and tore the paper into pieces before carelessly tossing them onto the floor. Shortly after, his cat, Chairman Meow, modified them into his new toy, playfully pawing at the snippets.

Magnus plopped down on the sofa and pulled out his phone from his pocket to text the group chat with his best friends Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael.

**Magnus:** _Anyone up for drinks tonight?_

**Raphael:** _Sure_

**Ragnor:** _I get off work at 6_

**Cat:** _Celebrate-drinking or I-hate-the-world-and-need-to-drown-my-sorrows-in-alcohol drinking?_

**Magnus:** _The second :/_

**Cat:** _Don’t worry, we got you ;)_

Great, just another five hours to spend in solitude, drowning in despair. Magnus wished he could start drinking right now, but while preparing for his audition he had forgone all alcohol in order to focus on delivering his best performance up to date. Going to the grocery store was the last thing he needed in that moment, for others to see him in his wrecked post-rejection state. At least two out of the five hours would be required to make himself presentable again.

Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed the nearest pillow and hid his face in it, muffling his frustrated screams. What had he done to deserve this? He was nothing but a hard worker, an optimist, who believed success would come to everyone eventually as long as they tried. After every failed audition his friends would ask if he was okay and he’d force a smile and tell them he was fine. That he just got unlucky and next time he’d definitely make it. But he had gotten tired of hoping and getting disappointed in the end.

He’d thought _Reborn_ would be it. The musical had only been written recently and was set to premiere on Broadway the next year. Sometimes he felt like it was written specifically for him because he’d never identified with a role as much as with this one.

The story revolved around a young man called Cyrus Glen who was struck by a curse. He’d be reborn every time he died only to die again the night he turns 24. The only way to break the cycle was to find someone he loves with his entire being. It was heart-breaking, but at the same time inspiring, as Cyrus never gives up on love until the very end. For Magnus, who had gone through difficult periods of loss and failure in his love life and career himself, it seemed like a perfect fit.

He had practiced the finishing number multiple times a day during the month of preparation for the audition. And admittedly, he had been pretty confident about it, but as it seemed all his hard work still hadn’t been enough. His whole life he had never been “enough”.

Why was everyone fortunate but him? Ragnor was a successful lawyer, clients piling in one after the other. Catarina would tell him stories every week, emphasising how much she loved her work as a nurse. Raphael was a bartender in one of the busiest clubs in the neighbourhood. And then there was Magnus, who was sitting alone in his apartment, sobbing quietly, while his friends were out there living their dreams.

*

 “How imbecile could you possibly be? I specifically requested that we change this entire scene!” Sebastian Morgenstern was yelling at his co-star.

“But why would you change it? The scene makes perfect sense like this! You can’t just change the entire script because you’re the lead role!” The blonde, fair-skinned actress complained, throwing her hands in the air.

“Sebastian is right, Helen. We’ve already adjusted the scene to his liking.” The director Lorenzo Rey stood up from his seat trying to cut their fighting down.

“But why? It doesn’t make sense to leave this part of Cyrus’s childhood out. How is the audience supposed to understand his character if they don’t know his past?”, Helen protested.

The director took a deep breath. “We take Sebastian’s ideas into account because as opposed to you he’s a star with lots of experience. He has won his fair share of Tony’s so he can change whatever he wants to.”

Helen looked ready to explode.

Ever since Sebastian Morgenstern had been cast as the lead role of _Reborn: The Musical_ , Alec Lightwood’s workplace had become a fighting ground. As a set constructor, Alec couldn’t participate in the stage rehearsals officially, but he could overhear the actors’ arguing even when he was busy hammering nails into a board. Sebastian was a popular award-winning musical actor, but he was far from team-minded. Being the “star” of the show, he could get away with anything, even permanent changes in the script. Stupid changes, in Alec’s opinion. Helen Blackthorn, who played Cyrus’s love interest Iris, was already fed up with him.

In fact, Sebastian was getting on everyone’s nerves. He’d only been cast for a week, but he already behaved like a true diva. Even Alec’s sister Isabelle, who worked as a costume designer on the show, had commented on Sebastian’s rude behaviour towards her when she had taken his measurements.

Speaking of the devil, Alec thought as his sister came over to where he was painting a sign.

“If he ever talks to me like that again, I will use my sharpest needles to sew his costume to his face”, she said staring viciously at the man still standing on the stage.

“Why don’t you just sew a lot of frills and pink ribbons on his coat? I’m sure he’d look great in it.”, Alec suggested, smiling when he saw Izzy cracking up at his remark.

“You do always have the best suggestions, brother dearest. So, as a former theatre major, what do you think of Sebastian’s and Lorenzo’s changes to the script?”

“Don’t even get me started. They could as well toss the script straight into the bin.”, Alec commented, rolling his eyes dramatically. “But with Sebastian as lead role I wouldn’t feel very inspired as a director anyway. He’s an amazing singer and actor, but the way I picture Cyrus Glen in my head is just different.”

“And how exactly do you imagine him?”, she asked, seemingly interested.

“I’m not sure. I’d know if I saw it. But as a set constructor, you’re not that welcome at auditions, so my current experience is limited to overhearing those two shouting and arguing”, he said pointing towards the stage where Sebastian and Helen were still rehearsing.

“Will you be done with this soon?”, Isabelle was looking at the sign Alec was painting. “Jace was asking for you. He says you’ve been too busy to facetime the last weeks. He misses you.”

Jace was Alec and Izzy’s adoptive brother. The Lightwood’s and the Wayland’s had been good friends, so when Jace’s parents had died in a tragic car accident, the Lightwoods had taken a ten-year-old Jace in and raised him like their own. Even though Jace lacked the Lightwood family ‘s significant raven black hair – with his golden hair and eyes he stuck out like a sore thumb – Alec and Izzy had always seen him as their brother.

As the only Lightwood child who had decided to enter the family business, he travelled around the country most of the time and much to the siblings’ dislike couldn’t come home very often.

“I’d like to, but unfortunately I have to finish this until tomorrow or Mrs. Herondale will be pissed. “, Alec answered.

“Alec, it’s late and you’re injured too!”, she said glancing at his bandaged fingers. The day before Alec been adjusting the spotlights and fallen from the ladder, consequently hurting his hand. He appreciated Izzy worrying about him, but he didn’t want to fail at this job too. “Alec, you’re practically asleep already. Go home, get some rest. Tomorrow you’ll check in early and finish the sign.”

As always, his sister’s voice was a voice of reason. And now that Izzy had seen his injuries, he knew that she wouldn’t back down until she got what she wanted.

“You’re right. C’mon, I’ll give you a ride home.”

*

“Cheers! To my sucky life!”, Magnus declared before downing his fifth shot of the night. Usually, he bragged about his high tolerance. This time he cursed it. He wanted to get drunk as soon as possible, so he could just forget the day, the month, his entire life. His friends, only on their third shot, were eying him nervously.

“So, what do you guys think I should do next? Just continue with my job at the diner or go back to college to get a degree? Since apparently music can’t save your life, how about economics, that sounds extraordinarily thrilling! Or I could become a professional athlete! Did you know I won third place at a swimming competition in 2nd grade? I could make one hell of a career.”, Magnus started rambling in his tipsy state.

“Magnus? You seriously want to give up on singing?”, Cat asked. “Just because you failed this audition, doesn’t mean you have to quit. Maybe you’ll get the next one.”

“That’s what you said after I failed the last one. And the one before. And the one before.”, Magnus shrugged.

That earned him another round of empathetic looks from his friends. They probably couldn’t imagine Magnus doing anything besides musical, they were used to having to listen to his rants about why West Side Story was the superior one or which actor deserved a Tony the most. It was rare to find their friend not humming a melody of a Broadway classic whenever they were around.

In fact, Cat, Ragnor and Raphael didn’t know a version of Magnus whose dream wasn’t to become an award-winning musical actor. He had moved from a small town to New York City with that one goal. Meeting his three best friends there had been a significant bonus.

He had met Cat in a Yoga class he had attended for a short while. Back then she was still studying to get her medical degree and when Magnus had brought her takeout during an all-nighter before her exams, they had immediately hit it off. As Ragnor was Catarina’s childhood friend, they’d been introduced sooner than later. His blunt honesty and British humour had made an everlasting first impression on Magnus. Raphael had been the last one to join their group, but that friendship had been bound to happen, because they’d all been regulars at the bar the Latino still worked at.

It was the middle of the night when Magnus was so drunk, he’d nearly forgotten all his sorrow. The four friends had changed locations a couple of times, checking out different bars and clubs. While Cat, Raphael and Ragnor were completely exhausted, Magnus had the time of his life dancing his heart out flirting with strangers at the club. It seemed like every drink gave him a new boost of energy.

“Do you still want to quit musical?”, Raphael suddenly asked with concern when they got seated in the third bar of the night.

Magnus flinched. The whole purpose of drinking was to forget about his failed audition and consequently putting an end to his musical career. But of course, his friends had to dig deeper. Cat and Ragnor looked up from their glasses, patiently awaiting his response.

“I really don’t want to. It’s always been my greatest dream and it still is. But I guess fate just wasn’t on my side and now I have to let it go.”, Magnus sighed. “I just wanted to sing on a Broadway stage for once in my life.”

“Well, you could technically still do that.”, Ragnor suddenly said. The other three looked at him in confusion. “Just sneak into a theatre, get on stage, sing a song and go home. That way you finish with your musical career the right way.”

“Are you mad? Trespassing is illegal, he’ll end up in jail if he gets caught!”, Catarina shouted.

“Dios mio”, Raphael mumbled grumpily.

Magnus, however, frowned, thinking deeply. It wasn’t how he expected he’d end up on a Broadway stage, but it was still better than never achieving it at all. Breaking into a theatre was risky but if he was quiet enough and didn’t leave any traces, no one would ever find out.

“Magnus, please don’t tell me you’re gonna do it.”, Catarina, the most rational out of the four, started to reason with him.

“Excuse me, friends!”, Magnus stood up from his chair grabbing his jacket and putting it on. “I’ve got a theatre to trespass!” He waved at them and as he was making his way outside; he could hear Ragnor cheer for him, Raphael grumbling in Spanish and Cat’s frantic “Magnus? Magnuuus!”.


	2. Your Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those two lonely souls finally meet ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the second chapter of my story ist basically the oneshot I posted a few months ago (although I did make some minor editing). This scene prompted this entire fanfiction and therefore, I'm very proud of it.  
> Thank you guys so much for all the support, kudos and comments I've received so far, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! <3

The next morning Alec arrived at work before sunrise. Since Izzy had literally dragged him away from set the previous night, he desperately had to finish his paintings before his boss came and could scold him for slacking off. He needed this job after all, and although working as a Broadway set constructor was far from his favourite thing to do, he relished getting glimpses of the production and the rehearsals even if it was just the shouting of the director, the vocal warm-ups or the dancers stretching.

Luckily, his boss had handed him a spare key to the building last week. Maybe it was just an encouragement meaning he would be more than welcome to work overtime whenever he wanted to but given the woman’s stern demeanour it was probably considered an obligation if he intended to continue working there.

Alec didn’t bother with locking the door after he entered because his co-workers would be pilling in later anyways. Having gone up behind the stage, he slid on his painting gloves and started mixing the colours he had left there the day before.

Half an hour later when the sign was halfway done, he took a quick break to take some sips of the coffee he had bought earlier on his way to set. That was when he heard a faint voice in the distance. A singing voice. Was anyone of the ensemble already there for the morning rehearsal? But he should be the only one. No one involved in the production had to be here until eight.

Drawn by his curiosity, Alec sneaked along the walls to where the voice was coming from. As he was nearing the main stage it got louder and clearer. It was a man, Alec recognised, and he was singing the male lead’s ballad _Cross my Heart_ which was set to be sung at the very end of the musical just moments before the curtains were closed.

Alec had always loved that song. Even though he had heard it so often, the familiar melody still sent shivers down his spine every time. It was one of those songs which reminded him of how he first got interested in musical theatre. It brought him back to times when he was in middle school and had a habit of snatching his parents’ old recordings, then watching at 3am hidden under his blanket, so no one would find out. It reminded him of his first directing experience in high school, of his college friends and other bittersweet memories of what his life used to be.

Another thing the set worker noticed, was that the man’s voice was undoubtedly beautiful. Soft as a pillow, yet clear and powerful. Like a gracious flower withstanding a ruthless summer storm. Every note he sang conveyed the male lead’s feelings accurately. Yearning for finding his place in a world that continually rejects him. Afraid of being hurt again, but still hopeful to find someone who will love and accept him for who he is. Every line the singer carried expressed the perfect combination of pain and hope.

Alec swallowed. He knew it was bad manners to eavesdrop. Still, he felt as if the man was singing his feelings out loud, his eyes were already becoming wet, threatening to spill tears. Then, like a force of gravity, he was pulled towards the edge of the curtains, looking through the gaps to get a picture of the face behind the voice when suddenly…

*

CLASH

Magnus was focused on singing but startled and turned around when he heard a huge metallic clash behind him. Was someone there? Had someone been listening to him?

Raw paint in multiple colours was flowing on the wooden floor towards his booted feet. Magnus stared at the silhouette hidden behind the scarlet curtains, panic rising inside him. Someone had seen him. Someone who worked on that very set. His breathing gained speed and he could feel the sweat glistening from his palms. He never should’ve listened to Ragnor and his drunken self. This was the worst idea he had ever had. He could be thrown out because of what he had done! Even worse, they could ban him from ever coming back!

“Ow...”, the silhouette suddenly said while coming out from behind the curtains, rubbing his sore head. It was a man of about Magnus’s age, tall, dark and handsome, at least the parts of him that weren’t covered in paint, Magnus thought. Judging from his (no longer) white overall and gloves he seemed to be working as a set constructor.

Magnus was just about to defend himself for sneaking in when the hazel eyed stranger started rambling.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry! I know I shouldn’t have, but I overheard you singing, and I wanted to listen and then I tripped over the paint and now the stage is ruined and your shoes…I-I am so sorry.”

“Well, a singer is always delighted to have an audience, even if it’s one who has happened to have fallen into a pot of paint.”, Magnus smirked.

The man was still for a moment, staring at Magnus wide-eyed. Was he offended by his looks? Most people were. An Asian man sporting spiked hair, kohl eyeliner and dark eye shadow was normally not someone you would bring around for family dinner. Not even mentioning the countless rings adorning his fingers, the necklaces hanging down his barely clad chest and the earcuff he always fiddled with when he was nervous.

And nervous he was. Even though the guy who had found him was delicious eye candy he had been caught trespassing on private property and was still awaiting his sentence.

“You’re a musical singer? Were you amongst those cast last week?”, the man’s eyes sparked with interest.

“No.”, Magnus’s tone was shallow. “I’m only an aspiring singer. Unfortunately, I’ve failed all my auditions so far.”

The handsome stranger’s mouth was agape, seemingly shocked.

“But, your voice- it’s so-so…beautiful. I’ve never heard a version of _Cross My Heart_ as good as yours and since I work here, trust me I’ve heard a lot of them. Most of them have good techniques, but you…it wasn’t as if you were singing, it was like you were speaking…right into my soul.”

Magnus’s jaw fell open. No one had ever complimented his singing like this. He was used to people saying he was good, but this man, whose raven hair was still dripping from paint, had rendered him speechless.

“Was that offensive? Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. I don’t even know your name and yet I’m here talking-“, the man began to apologise when he saw how stunned Magnus was by his words.

“I’m Magnus Bane. And that wasn’t offensive at all. You just took me a little by surprise.” Magnus’s face sported a wide grin and he held out his hand for the man to shake.

“I’m Al-“ But just as he was about to introduce himself as well, the two of them heard the sound of the front door opening and shutting.

Magnus froze.

“Who is that?”

“Should be my boss, the theatre manager. She always comes around this time of the day. Likes to be here early to have more time scolding everyone.” The man said after glancing at the watch on his wrist. “Is something wrong?”

“She can’t see me here!”, Magnus panicked.

“Uhm...yeah, of course. Uhm…”, the man was looking around for a place where Magnus could hide. Then he grabbed the singer gently by the arm and pushed him into a small storage closet hidden behind the curtains.

“Stay here, I’ll find a way to distract her.”, he whispered.

*

“Mr. Lightwood, you’re awfully punctual. What a rare sight.” Mrs. Herondale entered the hall, went over to the audience and shrugged off her expensive coat onto the next seat. Alec rolled his eyes (internally) at her comment. He didn’t like to be late, in fact, he was early most of the days, but seemingly not often enough.

As much as he liked the musical production itself, his boss was kind of a nightmare. Imogen Herondale was well-known in the Broadway circles for being extremely strict and demanding of everyone on set. It was rumoured that she had once fired half of the ensemble a few days before the premiere.

“Good morning, Mrs. Herondale.”, Alec greeted politely, faking a smile.

“Were you just talking to someone?”, she asked with a stern face.

The woman was standing in the audience, feet below the stage, and even though Alec was used to being called a giant by his siblings, hovering over others with nearly 6’ 3’’, it still seemed as if she was looking down on him. How scary, he thought.

Then he suddenly remembered the stranger from before – well not stranger anymore, since he had just introduced himself as Magnus Bane – hiding behind the stage.

“I was just answering a phone call. It was an urgent one. Family issues. And I put it on speaker because I didn’t want to get paint on it.”

“Clearly.”, she said, staring at his paint covered self and then shockingly at the paint covered stage floor. “You do know the paint’s supposed to be used on the sign instead of on yourself. Clean that up now, will you?”

“Yes, of course, ma’am. I’ll get started immediately.”

“I’ll be backstage reviewing the candidates from Wednesday’s audition. Do not disturb me.”

_Backstage. She was going backstage. Magnus was hiding there. Magnus was hiding backstage._

“Wait!”, Alec shouted just as she was about to pass by, then hesitated. Telling her to wait was a good start, but he couldn’t actually stop his intimidating boss from doing whatever she was doing without a solid reason.

Mrs. Herondale turned around, raising her eyebrows.

“There’s something … uhm… that needs to be taken care of. Outside.”, he stuttered nervously.

The middle-aged woman gave an unimpressed grunt, staring backstage. Alec got the feeling she knew something was off. As if she could see right through the doors of the closet Magnus was hiding in. _Think of something to distract her, Alec! Anything! You promised Magnus, you’d send her away!_ , he thought to himself.

“Uhm…Outside as in the box office, I mean. The costume team sent out for a shipment of new fabric and they still need your signature approval. The documents should be somewhere near the box office.”

“If you say so, Mr. Lightwood.”, still looking unimpressed, she walked away.

After Mrs. Herondale had finally left the hall, heels clacking, Alec let out a huge sigh he didn’t even know he’d been holding. It wasn’t just the panic of being found out, every single conversation with his boss was nerve-wracking. He always felt like just one wrong word could leave him being fired and having to live off instant ramen for a few months until he would eventually resort to selling his organs at the black market.

Thank God, no – thank Izzy, Alec thought. If she hadn’t mentioned said documents the day before, Alec would’ve had to come up with a lie and Mrs. Herondale would’ve been furious. But for now, he was safe. And Magnus, the amazing singer he had just met, was safe as well.

He hasted backstage. “Magnus? She’s gone. You can come out now.”, he called, and silence followed. “Magnus, are you alright?” After more silence followed, Alec slowly opened the door of the old storage closet.

It was empty. Magnus was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though you might have already read it before. Next week we will see the aftermath (*cough* hungover Magnus *cough*) of this awkward meeting and how it affects both Magnus and Alec.  
> See you soon,   
> Vero


	3. And I Don't Even Know Your Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This week: Hangovers, cats, facetime and Grease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to every one who has supported this story so far. You guys mean the world to me :)  
> The title for chapter 3 is from a song by Shawn Mendes called "I Don't Even Know Your Name".  
> Enjoy! <3

When Magnus woke up the following afternoon, the only explanation he could come up with was that something had crawled into his mouth and died. Not mentioning the jackhammer that seemed to be tormenting his head.

What had happened the night before? He couldn’t remember. He knew he had gone out for drinks with his friends, but somehow ended up back in his own bed with only a nasty hangover. Normally he’d wake up in someone else’s bed or next to someone in his own apartment, but this time there was no guy nor girl in sight. Why had he gotten drunk again if not to get laid?

Magnus turned in his sheets to get some more sleep. Despite his hangover, he had had the most pleasant of dreams. He had been singing _Cross My Heart_ on a Broadway stage and had been complimented by a handsome stranger. However, after a while, Chairman Meow decided to pay him a visit and loudly demanded to be fed. With a loud groan, he got up, put on one of his silk robes and went to the kitchen to get the cat food ready. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed dozens of paper shreds spread around his living room.

The rejection letter. That’s why he had gone out last night. He had been trying to forget about his musical career ending by downing shots and judging by his hangover, a lot of them.

Since he had the day off from his job at the restaurant, he took it easy and went through his usual hangover procedure. An ice-cold shower, Aspirin, water. He made himself a light meal and sat down, trying to fill in the gaps of what had happened the night before.

He could remember sitting at the bar with his friends, but everything seemed blurry, covered with a veil, so he couldn’t make out what exactly they’d been talking about. Another image came up in his head: sweaty bodies moving to the rhythm of loud music, and him, shamelessly grinding against strangers. Had he been to the club too? Was that after the bar or before? How did they even get there and most importantly, how did he get home safely?

An hour of gruelling later Catarina called.

“Hey, Magnus! Just wanted to check in ‘cause I’m on break. Did you get home alright?”

Magnus admired his best friend’s lack of hangover and her ability to go to work after a heavy night of drinking. His only proud achievement of the day so far was that he’d actually managed to get out of bed.

 “Hi, Catarina! Thanks for checking in. Yes, I did in fact get home alright, although sadly I woke up with only the Chairman as company in my bed.”, he pouted, and he could hear Cat chuckle on the other side of the line.

“So, you didn’t break into the theatre? I was pretty sure I’d be picking you up at the police station sooner or later.”

“The theatre? What do you mean?”, Magnus asked confused.

“You don’t remember? Ragnor joked you would be able to sing on a Broadway stage once in your life if you trespassed. And you said it’s a great idea and stalked off. I haven’t seen you since then.”

The theatre? Had his stupid drunken self actually broken in? Closing his eyes, Magnus tried to remember, when suddenly glimpses of a young man covered in paint came to his mind.

“Magnus? Magnus?”, Catarina worried because Magnus hadn’t responded for a while.

“I gotta call you back, Cat.”, he said and immediately hung up, ignoring her complaints.

He sprinted towards the front door and checked the leather boots he must have worn the night before and was filled with immediate relief when he spotted the raw paint still stuck onto the soles. So, it hadn’t been a dream after all.

Although Magnus couldn’t remember how exactly he’d gotten to the theatre, memories of him singing, looking down upon a non-existent audience, came up. The loud, metallic clash still ringed in his ears. Even though most of his memories were blurry, he could remember the man’s face clearly: Pale skin, hazel eyes, raven hair, a smile that even though the man had been covered in paint had lit up the whole room. “Your voice, it’s beautiful”, that’s what he had said. Magnus could feel pride swell up inside him, his cheeks slightly reddening.

But what had happened afterwards? He couldn’t remember. He must’ve gotten home somehow, but what about the set constructor? Had they exchanged numbers? Magnus hopefully looked up the contacts on his phone to see if any new number had been added recently. No, nothing. They had parted and he didn’t even know his name.

Magnus sighed. He glanced at one of the framed pictures on his wall like he always did when he needed comfort. Amisha Bane was looking down at him proudly, a smile on her face. “What do you think, Mama?”, Magnus talked to the portrait. “He said my voice is beautiful, just like you always did. Do you think it was a sign? I don’t even know his name, but what if he’s right?”

Maybe Magnus wasn’t done yet. Even if he gave up on musical, he wouldn’t have to give up on singing as a whole. If even one person liked his singing, even if it was a total stranger, he should continue. The world hadn’t seen the last of Magnus Bane and he would prove to them that all the long hours he had put into rehearsing had not been in vain. Determined and excited at the same time, he pulled out his phone to text his boss he would like to take on a couple more shifts the next week. If people wanted to hear him, he would deliver his best performance possible.

*

“Hey, buddy, are you okay?”

Alec woke up from his daydream with a start. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”, he told his brother. Jace was still on a business trip in San Diego, but since he had promised Izzy, they were facetiming.

“Are you thinking about _something_ or _someone_?”, Jace asked smugly.

“You know it’s Izzy’s job to pry into my private life, right? “, Alec rolled his eyes.

“You can’t blame me for being curious.”

“Yeah, but there’s nothing to tell.”

Suddenly Jace’s voice changed to his I’m-a-caring-brother tone, “You know Alec, I’m worried about you. From what Izzy told me, you’re miserable.”

Miserable. That was harsh. He wouldn’t say he was perfect, but he was okay, he guessed. His whole life Alec had been a big brother. He had taken care of his siblings, protected them and given them advice whenever they had needed it. It had basically been his job to worry about them. But lately, it was the exact opposite. His siblings were taking care of him and he hated it. He felt useless; he was the oldest and yet Izzy and Jace were worrying about him as if he was a small child. Although Alec knew they were acting like this because they loved him, he couldn’t help but think that things would’ve been different between them if not for the events transpiring the year before.

“Is this what you two do when you talk? Complaining about my lack of private life?”, Alec suddenly snapped.

“We’re not complaining, we’re just worried. You’re closing yourself off, even more than a year ago. We just want you to be happy.”, Jace insisted.

“Well, I am perfectly fine. And I don’t need you guys worrying about me.”

“Alec, that’s not what I meant – “

But Alec had already ended the call, the screen turning black.

He let out a loud sigh. There was some truth to his brother’s words. Instead of going out, meeting new people and having fun - like you’d expect from a guy his age – he spent most of his time at work or alone in his apartment. And his apartment was hardly a comfort zone. Rents in New York were high enough to make someone cry, therefore, Alec could barely afford the minimum. His place only had two rooms, accompanied by a tiny bathroom and a kitchen corner. The walls were bare except for a few photos, a complete contrast to his elegantly adorned childhood home, that most of his former friends had been jealous of.  Alec had never cared much for material things, but if there was one thing that he missed the most about the Lightwood brownstone, it was the piano. He hadn’t played for almost a year, even though he had always enjoyed accompanying his classmates and college friends while they were singing. Especially those who had lots of talent.

Like the man with the gorgeous singing voice he had met the day before: Magnus Bane. The name was unique, yet familiar. Alec wondered whether he had heard it before. It was people like Magnus, who had once inspired his love for musicals. He was shy when it came to being in the centre of attention, but certain others, he knew, they radiated an energy that belonged to the spotlight. As a musical director, he had always wanted to allow such people to thrive on stage, to give them the opportunity to shine.

Alec walked over to his shelf and picked up a couple of old recordings. _Grease 2012_ , it said. Sighing, he inserted the disc into his laptop and pressed play.

Back then, he’d only been a sophomore at high school, but a former senior and friend, Aline Penhallow, had convinced him to direct the school musical. The recording showed Aline and all the others acting on stage, singing and dancing. A cheerful performance of _Summer Loving_ , the ever heart-aching _Hopelessly Devoted To You_ and obviously the iconic _You’re The One That I_ _Want_. Alec still knew the score to some songs by heart, so he moved his fingers on the kitchen table, imagining the keys underneath his touch.

Some behind the scenes footage of Alec was also included. You could see him giving stage directions, encouraging and praising his cast. The last scene was of the whole cast standing in front of the scarlet curtains, holding onto each other’s hands, taking bows, the crowd soaring in applause. Then, Aline rushed off the stage and came back with Alec at her toes. Alec took a bow as well, surrounded by his castmates and friends, who then engaged into a large group hug. The camera flashed to the audience and Alec spotted Izzy, Jace and his youngest brother Max clapping enthusiastically and cheering him on with loud whistles.

That moment had been one of the best moments of his life. He had been so nervous that his first directing experience would go wrong, but everything had turned out better than great. He missed that feeling. He missed everything about it.

That night, Alec stayed up late, going through the recordings of _Sister Act, West Side Story_ and more. And for the first time in almost a year, he felt truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Feel free to leave a comment or kudos. To be honest, my heart warms with every kind of feedback I get. You guys are so lovely!  
> Next week's chapter is called "Taking Chances" aka the same name as the title of this story. Does anyone wanna guess the song that inspired the title?  
> All my love,  
> Vero


	4. Taking Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This week: A music diner, Celine Dion and an unexpected reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for reading this story and for leaving kudos and comments.  
> You guys are simply the best <3  
> This chapter is special to me, because it contains the song that inspired the title of this fanfic and the story in general.  
> I hope you'll enjoy it!

“Hey brother, how’s it going?”, Alec was just pounding nails into one of the many wooden boards he was working on when Izzy creeped up on him from behind.

“The usual stuff, you know, work, work and more work.”, he grumbled in response. He had become used to working at the same place as his sister, but he still found it weird how she managed to pay him two or more visits every shift when she was actually supposed to be busy sewing Swarovski crystals onto costumes.

Izzy sat down cross-legged opposite him, her long hair cascading over her shoulders while casually sipping on her coffee, which according to Alec’s knowledge contained more sugar than liquid. To Alec, a traditional black coffee drinker, that was just disgusting.

“You know you deserve a private life, too, right?”, she sighed, eying his work.

“Ask me that again when all my bills are paid for.”, he murmured, grabbing the screwdriver from his tool box.

“I’m serious, Alec. When’s the last time you’ve been on a date?”, Izzy went on.

 _Half a year_ , Alec thought. He hated it when Izzy pestered him about dating. It wasn’t as if coming out of the closet had made all his insecurities magically disappear. In fact, it had made it even worse. Being a shy and inexperienced college dropout living pay-check to pay-check was not exactly the biggest turn-on he could imagine.

A couple of months ago he had been on a few dates, but none of them were interesting enough to make it to a second one. There was just no one he had immediately felt attracted to. No one with whom he had felt a connection, no glistening spark between them. Suddenly, he remembered the stranger who had snuck in to sing on stage the week before. He remembered his voice, his face and the short conversation they had had. He remembered how extraordinarily stunning that man had been.

 _No_ , he told himself. Crushing on someone he was never going to see again was the last thing he needed right now.

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about your own love life? When is that Simon guy finally going to ask you to move in with him?”, Alec quickly dodged the question with another one.

He noticed how Izzy started blushing. “Soon, I hope.”, she smiled to herself. She and her boyfriend, an IT nerd she had met through her co-workers, had been dating for a while now and whereas Alec didn’t particularly like the guy due to his annoying habit of talking nonstop, Simon made his sister happy and that was all that mattered in the end.

“By the way, I was wondering if Mom called you.”

Alec’s hands, previously busy with rummaging through his tool box, froze for a moment.

“No, why would she?”, acting unconcerned, he continued his work.

“Because she called me last night to invite me to family dinner next Friday.”

Alec grabbed a nail and with one hit of his hammer slammed it into the wooden board.

“And what makes you think she’d invite me? The last time I checked she said she didn’t have a son called Alec anymore.”

“I just thought, maybe she’d changed her mi-“

“As far as I know Mom prefers her children straight and successful. Since apparently neither of that is going to change until next Friday, you’ll have to go alone.”, he spit out every word like it was poison in his mouth.

“I don’t want to go there, if they keep on treating you like this!”, Izzy protested loudly.

Alec had always had a special love for his sister. Back when he came out, he wasn’t too scared of his parents’ reaction, because he knew, no matter what, Izzy would be on his side. She had known about his sexuality even before he knew it himself and when his 16-year-old self finally told her, she had hugged him over and over, telling him how proud she was for making his decision.

Still, he felt guilty that Izzy needed to defend him in front of their parents. They were her parents after all, and he didn’t want their relationship to be ruined just because of him.

“Look, Izzy.”, Alec shifted and put his arm comfortingly around her shoulder. “I don’t want you getting on mom and dad’s bad side because of me. This is my thing to deal with, you just attend dinner and pretend everything’s fine. Besides, Max must miss you. He’ll be overjoyed to get to spend some time with you.”

He could see Izzy trying to protest, but eventually giving up with a huge sigh. “Fine. But please let me treat you to some lunch. Otherwise, you’ll just mope, drowning yourself in more work. I recently discovered a new place I think you’ll like for sure.”

Alec nodded, gave his sister a kiss on the top of her head and watched her return backstage to get some sewing done until lunch break.

*

“Here we are.”, Izzy announced excitedly, halting in front of what seemed to be a tiny diner. It was well hidden among the huge city skyscrapers surrounding, people were passing by in hurried manners without giving it a second glance. Yet, the bright red building façade combined with the floor to ceiling windows made Alec feel cosy at once. Some customers were sitting by the wooden tables outside, chatting happily, waiting for their orders to arrive. The sign on the storefront read “The Institute” and was adorned with colourful music notes and treble clefs.

Just like the outside, the interior was warm and inviting, with painted walls and bright lights. Extending along the walls there were a couple of booths, whereas the large space in the middle was occupied by couches and padded armchairs. Uniformed waiters were going around, receiving and bringing orders ranging from coffee and drinks to steaming-hot meals. As much as Alec drowned in the comforting smell of fresh coffee what caught his attention the most was the stage at the back of the room. Placed on it were standing microphones, a keyboard, drums and other instruments. They had _live_ music, now Alec knew why his sister had brought him here.

“You like it?”, Izzy asked with a smug face, immediately noticing his fondness.

“Love it.”, Alec answered. “How did you find this place?”

“Simon’s best friend Clary works here part-time, mainly because her dad, Luke, runs this place. She should actually be on shift right now.”, Isabelle searched through the crowd when she spotted a tiny girl sprouting fiery red hair and waved her over. Alec remembered Izzy mentioning a Clary before, they had met through Simon and had been friends ever since. Still, Alec had never met her.

A few seconds later the girl came over, greeting her friend with a tight hug. “Hey, Izzy! I’m so glad you made it, I’ve missed seeing you here.”, she exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been quite busy with my dissertation and work, but I figured introducing Alec to this place is long overdue.”

“I was wondering when I’d finally meet the second man in Izzy’s life.”, Clary giggled while holding out her hand for Alec to shake.

After they had finished their introductions, she led them to a coffee table facing the stage. Alec plopped down on the cushioned armchair, observing his surroundings, when suddenly a waitress with brown curly hair went up the stage, taking a mic into her hand, while the band members settled in. Her dark skin contrasted well with the bright red shirt and skirt of the uniform. “Here’s _Stereo Hearts_ for table five”, she said into the mic and started singing, the band playing along.

_My heart’s a stereo_

_It beats for you, so listen close_

_Hear my thought’s in every note_

_Sing along to my stereo_

Alec was confused at first. He thought there would be a kind of a special gig that day. Maybe an unknown indie band from the neighbourhood. Why was the waitress singing?

Clary handed him a menu, noticing his confusion. “I should probably explain first. My dad always says The Institute is a “music diner”. First you order your drinks, then your food and with your food you can choose a song. There’s a list at the back of the menu, with songs you can choose from. And then as soon as you get your food, one of us waiters will go on the stage and sing the song for you. Right now, it’s Maia’s turn.”, Clary pointed at her colleague up on the stage.

Alec could definitely get on board with that. In fact, he thought the idea was pretty amazing. When he went through the song list included in the menu, he found about a hundred songs from different artists and genres. From the newest pop songs from the billboards, to 80’S rock, to RnB and Soul ballads, everything was included. The waiters and waitresses had to be very talented singers to make sure every customer found a song they liked.

The two siblings ordered their drinks and Clary took off, not before telling them to take their time with choosing their food and the accompanying song. Then, Alec leant back to listen to the next song Maia was singing. _So emotional_ for table seven, Clary joining her along the way. They had good voices, Alec thought, but not as good as Magnus’s. He had never heard a voice before that gave him goose bumps with every note. He wished he could hear it again. Just once.

“I can hear you thinking, Alec.”, Izzy snapped him back from his reverie. “Look, if me talking about Mom and Dad upset you-“

“It’s not that. I told you before, I couldn’t care less what they think of me.”, Alec sighed. That was a lie. He wished to be one of those gay kids whose parents were fully supportive. Those, who’d invite his boyfriend to dinner and defend him in front of their conservative business partners. But since that wasn’t the case, Alec had learned to deal with it. “Look, something happened. And it made me think a lot.”

Izzy’s stared at him curiously, her brown eyes demanding details. And even though his sister liked to pry, she was still the person Alec could share all his secrets with. Therefore, he began talking. About meeting Magnus and hearing him sing.

“So, basically a guy broke into the theatre, well not broke in, because you left the door open. He sang a song, you eavesdropped until you tripped, fell into a pot of paint and revealed yourself. You’re a gay disaster, brother dearest.”, Izzy chuckled, listening to Alec recounting what had happened that day. “Was he hot at least?”

“No… I mean yes - but that’s not the point.”, Alec stumbled over his words. “I heard him sing and it made me remember why I wanted to become a musical director in the first place. To make young talents like him thrive on stage, to make everyone experience these intense emotions I felt when I heard him sing. He told me he had failed all his auditions so far, that’s just so unfair! People are missing out, that man belongs on a stage in front of hundreds of people, I could see it.”

Izzy sipped on her soda that Clary had brought over earlier, clearly amused by her brother’s passion for the subject. “So, did you get his number?”

“No, we just talked for a minute when Mrs. Herondale came in. I helped hiding him backstage, because I didn’t want her to throw him out. And when she left, I checked on him and he was gone. Just vanished into thin hair.”

“Would you recognise him if you saw him?”, she asked.

A piercing image of the man appeared in Alec’s head. Distinct, like it had been saved in a file in his brain to be opened again and again. “As far as I remember he was fairly unique. He was Asian, with caramel skin and he had these yellowish eyes. He was also dressed quite flashily, with lots of jewellery and he wore dark make-up and spiked hair.”

Izzy nodded, approvingly. “But you know his name, right?”

“Well, he doesn’t know mine, but I know his. It’s Magnus Bane.” Alec liked the name, it was unique. Soft on the tongue, yet oozing confidence. A perfect mix of what he’d seen of Magnus so far.

Izzy facepalmed. “Alec, it’s the 21st century! It’ll take you a minute to check him out on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, I’m sure you’ll find him somewhere.”

Alec had thought about that, too. But it just didn’t feel right. He didn’t want to come across as a stalker. “And what am I supposed to say, Izzy? _Hi, Magnus. I’m the dude from last week. You know, the one who was covered head to toe in paint and hid you in a closet. I just wanted to drop by to say that hearing you sing made me have an existential crisis. Also, you have a nice ass._ ”

Izzy snorted, but her tone became serious soon after. “Alec, you’re allowed to have feelings for someone. I know the past year hasn’t been the easiest for you, but it’s not healthy to be so hard on yourself. It makes me sad to see you so miserable all the time. Jace is worried about you too. You can’t keep blaming yourself, none of this is your fault. You deserve to enjoy yourself, so just try to make the best of the current situation. “

Alec bit on his lips, thinking about his sister’s words. Maybe he did isolate himself. It’s not as if he thought he didn’t deserve to go out and have fun, but given the events of the year before, he was scared. Scared of finding something he liked, just to lose it again. Scared of falling in love, just to end up having his heart broken. He remembered how happy he had been studying theatre at college, aiming to become a Broadway musical director. Being amongst his fellow theatre lovers, sharing his ideas, following his one true passion had improved his self-esteem to the point where he was finally ready to come out to his parents, which sadly had resulted in him being kicked out of the house and losing all funding for his studies. When coming out he had finally felt free, like a huge weight he had been carrying around all his life had been lifted off his chest. But having to give up on his dreams had not been a price he had expected to have to pay for it.

“I know it sounds weird, but hearing that man sing unlocked something in me. It was as if I had found all of the reasons, I love musical so much in that one song. When I got home after that encounter, I sat down and watched some of the old DVDs from the times I directed in high school and college. And for the first time since coming out, watching them didn’t make me sad. It made me incredibly happy.”, Alec continued. He wasn’t sure if what he said made sense and if Izzy would understand it, but he needed to tell someone.

“Alec.”, Izzy grabbed his hand on the table and held onto it encouragingly. “I don’t think you should give up on becoming a director yet. I love you, and I miss seeing you happy doing the things you love. Maybe you could give it one more try?”

Alec faked a smile and nodded. “I love you too.”

He excused himself to go to the bathroom, and asked Izzy if she could order for him. After this heavy conversation, he craved calories in the form of a burger. Once having finished his business, Alec washed his hands and splashed water onto his face to relieve him of the earlier induced tension.

Maybe he did want to try one more time. He felt homesick every time he thought about directing. Back in high school he had been glad. While others had struggled with finding out their future careers, he had known it for sure. Why had he given up on it so easily? The feeling of hearing a crowd roaring in applause after a finished performance, being stunned by the story, the music and the actors. He had wanted it so much and he still did. He wanted it back so hard. But he just didn’t know how.

After a few minutes he came back to the table to find the food Izzy had ordered for him already served. Izzy was busy typing on her phone when Alec re-took the seat opposite her. “Please don’t tell me you’re stalking Magnus Bane.”, he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“I hardly think that’s necessary anymore.”, she grinned. “By the way, you didn’t tell me which song you wanted so I chose for you. I think you’ll like it.”

Alec was confused as to why she didn’t need to stalk Magnus any more, but before he could ask, he heard someone tuning an acoustic guitar. One of the waiters was standing on the stage, getting ready for his performance, but Alec being seated and the other guests suddenly standing, he couldn’t make out who it was. The crowd cheered enthusiastically when the first accords were played.

“This song is for Alec on table eight. It’s called _Taking Chances_.”, a male voice called and started singing.

_Don't know much about your life_   
_Don't know much about your world but_   
_Don't want to be alone tonight_   
_On this planet they call earth_

_You don't know about my past and_   
_I don't have the future figured out_   
_And maybe this is going too fast_   
_And maybe it's not meant to last,_

_But what do you say to taking chances_   
_What do you say to jumping off the edge_   
_and never knowing if there's solid ground below_   
_or a hand to hold_   
_or hell to pay_   
_What do you say_

Alec gasped when he recognised the sweet tone, the expressive voice he had longed to hear again. He stood up and looked towards the stage, glad of his height, because it meant he towered over the crowd with ease. And all at once Alec was back in the theatre the week before as he was seeing eye to eye with Magnus Bane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who's curious: The song is by Celine Dion, but Magnus's version is more like Rachel's (Lea Michele's) version from Glee. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68PysxEmyI  
> As of now, I don't have any pre-written chapters and university is currently quite demanding, that's why I can't promise you weekly updates from now on, but I'll do my best to still update as regularly as possible.
> 
> Small teaser for the next chapter, it is called "So We Meet Again"


	5. So, We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry for hiding you in a closet!”, he blurted out.  
> “Trust me, Alexander. I’m quite experienced with coming out of closets.”
> 
> These two lonely souls meet again :')

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait!  
> I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter, but we'll see.  
> Again, thanks for all the lovely feedback so far, you guys are the best <3

Once Magnus spotted the familiar hazel eyes among the crowd, he couldn’t bear looking away. He kept his gaze fixed throughout the entire song, even as he switched out the acoustic guitar for an electric one.

A week ago, he hadn’t known his name and not expected to ever get to hear it. But now he did. _Alec,_ he remembered the name the girl from table eight had placed the order on. It suited him, he thought. Still, he wondered if it was his real name or a nickname.

He had found him. Even though he had been sure they’d never see each other again. That he wouldn’t be able to tell the man how his words were the very reason he was standing on that stage, doing what he loved the most: singing.

_Don’t know much about your life_

_Don’t know much about your world_

As soon as the final lyrics fell from Magnus’s lips and he finished the last cords, applause erupted among the guests of the small diner. Men and women of different ages stood up and whistled and clapped with enthusiasm. The stranger from the week before, however, didn’t. He remained still, his eyes glistening, mouthing a silent “Wow”.

Magnus returned his response with a coy smile, but then he remembered he was still at work. He took a short bow, earning a new round of applause, placed the guitar back in its stand and hopped off the stage to take some more orders.

“What _was_ that?”, Maia asked with great curiosity as Magnus returned to the bar. Maia was a few years younger than Magnus and a marine biology student. Magnus remembered, how her charisma and strong-willed personality had made a lasting impression on him, when they’d first met. At The Institute, Maia usually took care of most of the RnB and Soul orders.

“What do you mean? The song? Did I go off-key?”

“No, your singing was amazing, as always.”, she emphasised. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing out of tune in the two years we’ve been working together. I meant that guy, over there. You were basically serenading him. Wait, do you have a boyfriend I don’t know of?”

“What?”, Magnus asked, surprised. “No, I just know him from…somewhere.” Maia raised her eyebrows in suspicion.  “It was coincidental. I just didn’t expect to see him here.”, he added.

Magnus looked over at Alec, who was now back in his booth, eating his lunch. Instead of his work clothes, he was wearing a dark sweater that starkly contrasted with his alabaster skin. Across him sat the dark-haired beauty who had requested the song for Alec. His girlfriend? No. They looked too similar. Probably his sister, or another relative.

“You mean Isabelle’s older brother?”, Clary suddenly popped up behind his shoulder, balancing a tray of empty plates and glasses in her hands. Magnus quickly put things together. Clary often hung out with her best friend Simon, who also sometimes helped out in the diner when they were short on band players, since he could play some instruments. And he had snapped up some snippets of Simon having a girlfriend named Isabelle. 

“Izzy told me Alec’s a former musical theatre major, so I’m sure you’d get along well, you should introduce yourself.”, Clary suggested. Magnus smirked. Nobody needed to know that he’d met Alec already on accident, while severely inebriated.

“You know what?”, Maia said. “The two of us will cover your tables, so go talk to him!” She shoved Magnus in Alec’s direction, signing it off with a small pat on his back.

There was no way back now, Magnus thought. While he was thrilled to talk to Alec, he couldn’t hide the nervousness that seethed his skin. If Alec had been wanting to see him again, he could’ve found him easily on social media. After all, he knew Magnus’s name. But Alec’s amazement at his singing earlier indicated that he did want to see Magnus again. So, the waiter plucked up his courage and paced ahead.

When he approached the table, he could hear the siblings arguing.

“I can’t just go there, Izzy. He’s working!”

“Alec, he’s already seen you. If you ignore him now, you will come off as incredibly rude.”

“Actually, I’m on break right now.”, Magnus stepped in, a smug grin on his face. “Is Alec short for Alexander?”

Alec startled at his voice. “Y-yes, but no one calls me that.”

“Well, Alexander, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. Sadly, last time I was in rather a hurry.”

Alec gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry for hiding you in a closet!”, he blurted out.

“Trust me, Alexander. I’m quite experienced with coming out of closets.”, he winked, earning a giggle from Isabelle. “I see the family resemblance is striking. You were both blessed with beautiful features.” Magnus admired the blush spreading over Alec’s cheeks. “Your parents must be proud to have you.”, he added, but was caught off-guard, when he noticed Alec slightly winced at his words.

An awkward silence fell between them.

“I’m Isabelle”, the girl finally broke the silence, reaching out her hand for Magnus to shake.

“The lovely Isabelle, Biscuit has told me about you.”, he took her hand and gently placed a kiss on it.

“Such a gentleman.”, she looked at her brother. “Alec, you should keep him.”

“Keep him? What is he, a goldfish?”

“I was just saying –“

“You know what, Izzy? It’s Clary’s turn to sing, why don’t you go and cheer her on?” Alec’s sister rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to brush her off, but eventually left the table, giving the two some privacy.

“I apologise for her. She can be a bit… intruding sometimes. And of course, you’re not a goldfish, I mean if all fish could sing as well as you, I would’ve probably bought an aquarium long ago.”

“How flattering.”, Magnus smirked, still leaning onto the edge of the table. He wasn’t sure if Alec wanted him to sit down next to him. His insecurities kicked in and he suddenly wondered if he was being too pushy. “You know, I’m sorry if this is weird. We’ve only met once. So, if you’re uncomfortable wit this, please tell me and I’ll go.”

“What? No, I’m not uncomfortable at all. Actually, I was hoping to meet you again.”, Alec offered him the seat his sister had occupied earlier, and Magnus sat down, relieved, but still fiddling with his ear cuff.

“I just figured you’d find me online in case you wanted to contact me.”

“I thought about it, which means Isabelle tried to bully me into it, but I didn’t want to invade your privacy or anything.”, Alec admitted. “Although I would’ve killed to hear you sing again”

“You would’ve hardly offended me by that, Alexander. So, I guess you liked the song?” He was wondering if it was a favourite song of Alec’s. His sister had chosen it, but maybe she felt like her brother would resonate with the lyrics.

“I loved it. It was beautiful. I mean, you covered it really well, it must be quite hard to sing because of the high vocal range. And you managed to express the meaning of the song accurately, I guess that’s kind of your thing, you know, to sing like you’re talking to the audience. But I personally liked your version of _Cross My Heart_ more.”

And Alec smiled, a smile so bright it lit the whole room. Magnus could feel his heart jumping in his chest. He wasn’t used to this. As someone who has been to a lot of auditions – more than he’d like to admit – he was used to receiving criticism and reviews on his performance. But Alec was different. Every single of his words felt genuine, as if the fact that he found Magnus’s singing beautiful was as self-evident as the sky being blue.

“Well, considering I was fairly intoxicated when I sang that, I would love for you to hear the sober version.”, slipped out of Magnus’s mouth.

“Wait, you were drunk? Is that why you trespassed?”

Magnus figured he should just be honest about their first meeting. “Vaguely. Long story short. I received the letter that I failed the audition for Cyrus, had a few shots and when my friend suggested I could get to experience how singing on a Broadway stage feels like if I trespassed, I did. And I was nearly thrown out, so I owe you my sincerest gratitude for helping me out.”

“It’s no problem, really I’m the one who should thank you for letting me hear you sing.” Alec paused, fiddling with the edge of his napkin. Clary had just finished her song and he seemed relieved that his sister decided to stay with her longer. “So, you did audition for Cyrus?”

“Yes, I did, but I failed in the final call-backs.”, he confessed.

Alec’s look was baffled. “But why- I don’t understand- why would they cast _him_ and not _you_?”

“Unfortunately, that’s how the industry works, and we can’t do anything about it. Believe me, when I got the letter, I contemplated locking the lucky actor who got the part into my cellar and claiming the role for myself. But now I made peace with that. No more musical for me.”

“What do you mean no more mu-“, but Magnus cut him off by putting his index finger over his lips, shushing his words. The singer figured if he told Alec the reason why he didn’t want to pursue musical theatre anymore, he’d try to convince him otherwise and it would end in an uncomfortable debate, ruining their conversation. And in fact, there were far more interesting topics he wanted to talk about. “Don’t concern yourself with that. What I want to know though, are things about you.”

“Me?”, Alec looked around, confused if Magnus had really meant him. “There’s not much to tell. My name’s Alec, I’m 22, and I have three siblings. I’m a set worker and although I know my way around musicals, I’ve never wanted to act in one.”

Magnus unconsciously shuffled closer. It was just then that the two were sitting close enough to each other that Magnus spotted the blots of green in Alec’s hazel eyes. _How pretty._

Apparently, he wasn’t being subtle with his attraction because Maia, who was serving the table behind them, gave Magnus a knowing wink. To avoid suspicion, Magnus called for her and ordered a sugary coffee. Alec joined him, ordering a black plain one. _How disgusting_ , Magnus thought.

“I thought you were a musical theatre major in college.”, he tried to bring up the topic again after Maia left.

“I was, but as a director, not as actor.”, Alec clarified.

A director. Of course. Now it made sense. In contrast to other musical singer, who would usually pick up on elements like rhythm or belting technique, Alec had always commented on Magnus’s performance as a whole and how it appealed to an audience. He clearly seemed to have an eye for it.

“I can imagine that well! But why did you quit?”

“That’s a long story…for another time.”, Alec sighed, trying to avoid Magnus’s eyes. So, they both had baggage they didn’t want to reveal…just yet, Magnus thought.

He decided to change the topic. “So, what’s your favourite musical?”

-

 

They discussed the brilliance of West Side Story for a good half an hour, until their cups were empty and later their dessert plates were left with crumbs. Magnus found talking to Alec to be easy, casual, as if they’d known each other for years and not just one scarce meeting that could hardly be counted and about one hour of conversation.

“Alec, our break is nearly over. We’ve got to head back to work.”

Suddenly, Isabelle came back to the table, urgency in her steps. Alec let out a disgruntled sound and turned back towards Magnus.

“Can I have your numb-“, he said but stopped when Magnus asked the exact same thing at the very same time. They laughed in unison, then exchanged their phones and typed in their respective numbers. Isabelle put her arm around her brother’s waist – Magnus figured his shoulders were too high for her to reach – and slowly guided him towards the exit. Alec shyly waved goodbye at Magnus.

“Wait!”, slipped out of the singer’s mouth. “Before you go, can I ask you one more thing?”

Alec abruptly came to a halt. “Sure.”, he said with a sincerity that warmed Magnus’s heart.

“Who got the part of Cyrus in the end?” Magnus immediately regretted the question. Until the information was officially released by the press, the casting was supposed to be confidential. Simply by asking, he was putting Alec in a difficult situation, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Surprisingly, Alec answered. “Sebastian Morgenstern.”, he said with a stern expression and the familiar name ringed in Magnus’s ears for a very long time.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Next time: "Maybe This Time" (featuring an unexpected twist, a reunion and Aladdin)


	6. Maybe This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hates Sebastian, suprising twists, adorable reunions and lots and lots of crying. Get ready for them feels, guys.  
> Also: Aladdin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I know it's been a long time but at last, here is the new chapter! And as a treat for everyone who waited: it's the longest chapter so far and by longest I mean loooongest.  
> Thx for all the lovely feedback so far, every comment and kudos mean the world to me <3

[Sent; 3:13pm] _You dressed your cat up as Hamilton for Halloween?_

[Received; 3:14pm] _What other musical character was I supposed to dress him up as?_

[Sent; 3:14pm] _Idk maybe someone from Cats?_

[Received; 3:16pm] _Alexander, how dare you think my style is that predictable!_

Alec smiled to himself as he read Magnus’s text. Actually, he’d found himself smiling a lot more than usual the past week. At first, he’d been scared to text Magnus, scared of overstepping or becoming too clingy, but then Magnus had contacted him first and they’d been texting ever since. It was probably too early for Alec to call Magnus a good friend, but it definitely felt that way. Conversations flew between them, not just about their shared love for musicals but also about everything and nothing, ranging from their favourite TV shows and movies to Alec sharing stories about his sister’s horrendous cooking and Magnus sending him pictures of his cat, Chairman Meow, in funny sleeping positions that just couldn’t be comfortable. One time, they’d texted until late in the night, resulting in Alec being late for work the next day and facing the wrath of Mrs. Herondale, but it was totally worth it.

For the first time in forever, Alec felt truly understood.

For the first time in forever, Alec looked forward to every next day, so he’d get to know just a bit more about the so-ever fascinating Magnus Bane.

Texting with Magnus was also a great distraction at work, particularly when he needed a breather from all the background fighting. He’d thought Sebastian being a diva would calm down after a while, but it was the total opposite: he got even worse. Sebastian spent every day demanding script changes and bashing at his co-actors and other staff personnel. He was truly a nightmare to work with.

The week before, Helen had even stormed out of the rehearsal after being badmouthed with words Alec would never dare to use in front of someone by Sebastian. The lead actress had left the restroom with puffy eyes and Alec had made sure to call and pay for a taxi so she could get home safely and rest. He knew _Reborn_ was Helen’s first major role on Broadway, so it didn’t come as a surprise when she came back to set the next day. She couldn’t afford to lose the part, after all, Magnus had told him that much about how the industry worked.

As Alec belonged to the set designer team, he fortunately didn’t have to work with Sebastian directly. So far, he’d only complained about Alec being too slow at fixing the spotlights when they suddenly stopped working in the middle of an important rehearsal. But he couldn’t have done it any faster, since he’d run out of bolts and had to go buy a new pack. Alec figured that a lot more precious rehearsal time was wasted on Sebastian’s constant interruptions than on him fixing spotlights.

Still, director Rey and Mrs. Herondale loved Sebastian and let him do as he pleased. Were they that desperate for good publicity, they had to cast this insufferable snob of award-winning actor instead of a good-minded, dedicated and talented newbie like Magnus?

 It was 4pm and while Alec was on a short break, Magnus would be starting his shift at the diner soon. That’s why Alec decided to pay his little sister a visit. Isabelle worked for the costume department, which mostly worked in the dressing rooms situated along the narrow corridor side-lining the auditorium. The door was closed but Alec could make out voices from inside.

 “Can’t you do this any faster? How long can it take to make some adjustments?”, he heard the familiar, diva-ish Sebastian’s nagging.

“It would go a lot faster if you didn’t complain this much. As far as I care, you can go on the stage naked.”, said Isabelle in a saccharine tone filled with obvious sarcasm.

“If you wanted to see me naked, you could’ve just asked.”, Sebastian suggested with a lascivious purr. Alec was about to burst in and shove this pervert as far away from his little sister as he could, but fortunately Izzy handled it like a pro.

“No, thank you, now turn around and take a look at the mirror.”

“What the fuck did you do? I look ridiculous! You ruined the costume!”

“I just did what Mr. Rey told me to! It’s supposed to look like this! If you don’t like it that’s your problem, you’re gonna have to wear it anyway!”

“I don’t care what they want it to look like!” The arguing continued on and on until a ripping sound pierced Alec’s ears, followed by his sister’s wailing scream.

“What’s going on here?” Alec finally decided to intervene, slamming the door open.

He saw Isabelle crouching on the floor, holding the ripped fabric between her trembling fingers, her eyes filled with tears. Sebastian had ripped the fabric in two causing the carefully sewn-on crystals to twist and roll on the floor. Alec knew Izzy had pulled two all-nighters in a row to finish the costume and it was her proudest work so far. And now Sebastian had destroyed it in the span of one second.

His brotherly instincts kicked in immediately, making him shove Sebastian away and hold her while she cried.

“It’s not a big deal, she can make a new one in an hour or-“, Sebastian started but was easily silenced when Alec gave him the most threatening death glare he could pull off. “Get out!” he mouthed, and Sebastian darted away, shutting the door closed.

Izzy clutched onto Alec, her face buried in his chest. “I hate him. I hate him so much!”, she sobbed, wet spots dampening her brother’s shirt.

 

 

Alec thought he couldn’t possibly hate Sebastian even more, but now he did. He himself could deal with being yelled at but making his sister cry was unforgivable. After the incident, Alec had escorted the shaken-up girl back to her dorm room and given her consolidation treatment including hot chocolate with marshmallows, a fluffy blanket and a Gilmore Girls marathon. He’d stayed there until she eventually fell asleep. The next morning, Izzy called work saying she wouldn’t be in for a couple of days, the reason being she caught _the flu_. So, when Alec was on his way to work - alone instead of his usual sororal company -  he decided to update Magnus on the situation.

[Received, 8:45am] _He made the lovely Isabelle cry? What a monster_

[Sent, 8:47am] _I know, he’s the worst. I still don’t get how he got the part._

[Received, 8:48am] _He’s a Morgenstern, his parents were Broadway legends._

Valentine and Lilith Morgenstern had indeed been extremely popular about 25 years ago, Alec had done some research. Two young actors who had been cast as Christine and Phantom, swept off a couple Tony’s, gotten married and had a son who turned out to be another Tony-snatching (and self-absorbed) actor.

Yes, Sebastian was talented, that was for sure. His parents had probably paid for singing and acting lessons since he was two. However, whenever Alec thought about the role of Cyrus, he would always picture him as Magnus. He wanted Magnus to have this role. And most importantly, he wanted to work with Magnus together.

[Sent, 8:50am] _I still wish it was you_

_Shit_ , Alec thought as he read the message he’d just sent. That was way too obtrusive. _Delete._ _Delete_. Two light-blue checkmarks appeared next to the message. Too late. Magnus had already read it. Great, now what?

The words _typing…_ popped up next to Magnus’s name and Alec became anxious. What if he’d just fucked up the first chance of making friends with someone since coming out? Magnus was typing, then he wasn’t, then he was, then he wasn’t even online anymore. Now Magnus didn’t even want to reply to him anymore. He’d fucked up great, in typical Alec style.

Or maybe he was just imagining things. Magnus liked him. He’d always text him first. Maybe he was just busy and needed more time to reply. Alec also remembered Magnus was working on Thursdays.

Alec tried not to think too much about it, got off at his stop and walked in the direction of the theatre. But when he arrived, he was met with the unexpected: Chaos. Total chaos.

Only about 30 people were seated in the auditorium, cast and crew alike, but it sounded like a hundred. Everyone was shouting, the arched ceilings intensifying the noise. In the middle of the cacophony stood Mr. Rey and Mrs. Herondale, both on their phones, frantically demanding answers from whoever was on the other side of the line. They both seemed to be in an utter state of despair, Alec never thought he’d see the day. But while the producers panicked, the other actors and cast members, appeared to be the opposite: calm and _excited_? Alec remained in the doorframe, bewildered, not having any clue what was going on.

“What happened?”, he finally asked Helen, who was pulling off some sort of victory dance in the corner. The two hadn’t spoken too much before, mostly because they worked for different departments and didn’t get to interact much. Still, from what Alec had seen of Helen’s work at rehearsals and how she interacted with her co-stars, he admired her and had been trying to gather the courage to talk to her. By the look in her eyes she remembered Alec had been the one who called and paid for her Uber when Sebastian had upset her.

“You didn’t hear yet?” Helen was grinning like a kid in a candy store. “Sebastian, the menace, quit. He quit!”

“WHAT”, Alec gasped, nearly falling over from shock.

“He came in a while ago, said he couldn’t stand the _unstable work environment_ and _unprofessionalism_ of this place.” The blonde actress made air quotes at his comments. “He said he wants to quit, got all his stuff and said to only contact his lawyers from now on. Then he left and now he’s out of our lives. Forever!”

That explained the chaos. Also, the difference in people’s reactions. All of Sebastian’s co-stars hated him. Nevertheless, he was of greatest value to the producers, his name serving as the number one promotion for the fairly unknown rest of the writers, composers and crew.

“But what about his understudy. Is he taking over?”, Alec asked. He’d never met Sebastian’s understudy he only knew he was called Pangborn and was unarguably one of Sebastian’s “minions”.

“That’s who they’re trying to reach right now”, Helen explained, pointing at Herondale and Rey still stuck to their phones. Based on the theatre manager’s enraged face there were no good news.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU QUIT TOO”, she suddenly roared, silencing the others’ conversations at once. Whoever was on the line kept talking for a minute, Mrs. Herondale carefully listening as if she wanted to detect any errors. Then she hung up, seemingly trying not to combust.

“Pangborn’s quitting too. He says he only works for Sebastian, so his contract terms are the same, as are his lawyers”, she told Rey, the crowd anticipating every word.

This was an absolute nightmare. The production was on a tough schedule already and now the future of the musical depended on how they were going to deal with this unexpected turn of events.

“What do we do now? We have the GMA teaser performance in three weeks, we can’t do that without a Cyrus!” The director sat down, hiding his face in his hands. Alec had never seen him this distressed before.

The two informed everyone they were going backstage to discuss their options with the rest of the producers, leaving the cast and crew on their own. This time instead of gossiping or theorising everyone stayed quiet, impatiently awaiting their return. Alec settled on a seat next to Helen and could feel her tensing up, just like everyone else in the room.

After a good half an hour, Mrs. Herondale and Mr.Rey came back, this time downstage, so they could make their announcement for everyone to hear.

“In light of recent…developments, we have ultimately decided to re-do the auditions for Cyrus. As we are on a tight schedule, we will only call back the applicants who made it to the final round alongside Sebastian Morgenstern. For now, all actors and dancers get back to rehearsing excluding Cyrus’s part. The décor will proceed as previously agreed upon. Dismissed.”

The crowd dispersed at the announcement, still whispering to each other, but obediently following their boss’ orders.

Alec, however, didn’t. He stormed outside, rushing to The Institute. To Magnus.

 

 

Working full time at the diner now, Magnus had fallen into an easy routine. Most customers were regulars and therefore friendly and understanding (in contrast to the rudeness waiters at other establishments were forced to endure). He was on great terms with his boss Luke and his co-workers such as Clary and Maia. They rehearsed duets together, he accompanied them on the piano or guitar while they practiced a new song and the three of them shared a bunch of inside jokes, that would brighten up his mood in between serving meals and drinks.

What he enjoyed most about work, however, was that he got to do his favourite thing in the world for a living: singing. It wasn’t the big stage on Broadway he’d always dreamt of, but it was the best he could get. In addition, having a busy schedule helped keeping his mind off how he had given up on said dream, because apparently, he just wasn’t good enough to make it in the show business.

Another thing that kept Magnus alive following his slight identical crisis was Alexander. They hadn’t known each other for too long, but they definitely had a connection. Every text message put a smile on his face. Every day of the week Magnus hoped Alec would drop by the Institute during his lunch break just so they could have a little chat.

_I still wish it was you._ Magnus hadn’t replied to Alec’s last message yet, mostly because he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know how to interpret the text. Was Alec just so enthralled with Magnus’s singing and therefore, wanted to see him on stage like the musical nerd he was or did he like Magnus per se and wanted to spend more time with him? Magnus guessed it was the former rather than the latter. The thought of his talent being appreciated made him happy, but he didn’t want to give Alec false hopes. Magnus was done with his musical career. For good.

He eventually decided to not text back and wait for Alec’s next message. For the next hour he settled into his usual work routine, trying his best to let his thoughts slide.

It was nearing 10am when the unexpected happened.

“Magnus! MAGNUS!”

Magnus turned around at once, startled by hearing his own name called out so loudly.

It was Alec, who suddenly stormed into the diner like a bolt of lightning, nearly falling over when he came to an abrupt halt. The customers became aware of the reason for the sudden turmoil and eyes drew upon the frazzled man.

“Alexander, what’s wrong? Shouldn’t you be at work?” Magnus approached him, concerned due to his unexpected appearance.

“He quit, Magnus, he quit”, Alec panted, his hands holding onto his knees as he tried to regain his breath.

“Alec, you’ve got to calm down, I don’t understand.”

Alec was still panting heavily, sweat gleaming from his forehead. Had he run all the way here? What could be this urgent for Alec, who was very serious about work, to run away in the middle of his shift?

Clary, witnessing the situation, quickly offered the exhausted man a glass of sparkling cool water that he downed in one gulp.

“Sebastian quit”, he then said, in a much clearer yet still hectic voice. “Sebastian quit his role. They’re re-doing the auditions for Cyrus!”

“OH MY GOD, Magnus that’s amazing!”, Clary screamed, enthusiastically jumping up and down while clapping her hands. Soon, other customers joined her, applauding and cheering, even though they probably didn’t have a clue what was going on and just gave into the peer pressure.

Magnus, however, felt numb. As if his body had shut down, not allowing a single reaction to escape him. He was trapped in a state of hollowness, disconnected from the rest of the world, not able to form a response, yet alone express his innermost feelings.

Probably because he didn’t know what his feelings were. How he felt about this.

Sebastian Morgenstern, _the_ Sebastian Morgenstern, had quit the role he had fought so hard for. The role Magnus had wanted more than anything in the world. The role that Magnus had failed to achieve.

Why had he even failed? There must have been a reason for it. Or was it his fault? He just wasn’t good enough, after all.

He knew he wasn’t good at many things. He sucked at drawing, he’d never been a straight A-student at school, and for hell’s sake he’d been hit more time in the face with a ball than he’d ever caught one. He got drunk too often to count, always had to order food or get takeaway because he couldn’t cook to save his life and had failed his driver’s test over and over. He didn’t have any more family he could try to make proud of him, his love life was scarred for ever by his past lovers and at night, he didn’t have anyone to come home too, despite his cat.

But those didn’t matter. He knew he wasn’t good at these things and he didn’t expect it to change. Singing, however, had always been his greatest passion. That one thing he was good at and that he had actual confidence in.

It’s one thing to fail at something you know you’re not good at. But failing at something you’re actually good at is on a whole different scale. And that’s what failing auditions over and over was for Magnus. As if every time, an ounce of his self-esteem was blasted to pieces, leaving him an empty shell of insecurities.

He was a failure, nothing more than a failure. Even if he was good at singing, he was simply not good _enough_. That must be the reason Sebastian got that role in the first place and not him, Magnus thought. It was never him. He just didn’t deserve it.

“Alexander, I’m sorry but I can’t”, he finally said in a quiet whisper, not willing to meet Alec’s eyes and see the disappointment written on his face. The applause stopped as soon he spoke, everyone, Alec, Magnus’s co-workers and all customers impatiently awaiting Magnus’s answer.

“What?”, Alec asked, seemingly not having expected this answer at all. He’d probably expected Magnus to scream or cry, jump into his arms, bursting with joy.

“I said I won’t do it”, he repeated, more clearly this time, feeling as if he was drowning in the tension surrounding him.

“Look, Magnus.” Alec gently grasped Magnus’s shoulder, leaning down to meet his eyes, hazel on golden ones. “They only want the final candidates back”, he explained softly. “That’s maybe five people. You don’t even have much competition.”

“I said NO!”

Alec flinched back at the harsh tone in Magnus’s voice. Magnus realised he’d yelled, loud enough for the crowd to be silenced at once. Even Maia, who had taken care of some not-so-patient customers while Magnus and Clary were caught up, stopped in her tracks, not used to hearing the usually suave Magnus raise his voice.

“Magnus, are you sure?” Alec tried approaching him again. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do you really want to –“

“I said NO, I can’t and I won’t!”, Magnus snivelled, tears of frustration forming in his eyes, threatening to roll down his cheeks. Walls he’d carefully built to hold him up, to keep him going, and most importantly to keep his grief inside, tumbled down. He wanted to keep it together, he tried to keep it together so hard. But now his walls were flooded, breached like a dam by a gushing river and before he knew it, his sobs punched through.

It was too much. Everything was too much.

“Can you please just leave me alone”, he wept, hiding his face in his hands.

“Alec, I think you should go”, Clary then suggested, considerate of Magnus’s wishes.

Magnus looked up with blurred eyes as soon as he heard the door closing. Alec was gone.

Then, Luke returned from the kitchen, most likely because of the noise and pulled Clary aside to fill him in on what had happened. After her explanation, Luke apologised to the customers for the disturbance and politely told them to go on with their dining.

Magnus remained where he was, trying to supress his sobs.

“Magnus, are you okay? Do you need something?” Maia came up to him, worried about her co-worker.

“I’m fine”, Magnus dismissed the girl. “I just need to be alone for a while.”

Ignoring his co-worker, he sprinted to the bathroom, locking himself into a stall for the rest of his shift.

 

 

 

I ruined it, I ruined everything, Alec thought. Here he was, finally finding someone he had made an actual connection with, especially after being alone for so long, and of course he had to fucking ruin it.

Alec tried focusing while he was back at work, but even after he took the brunt of having skipped work unannounced - Mrs. Herondale was scarier than ever given the tense situation – he just couldn’t get Magnus’s face out of his eyes.

He was crying. He was crying because Alec had made him cry.

He had raised his voice, telling him _No_ and Alec still hadn’t backed off. He was officially the worst.

“Alec Lightwood?”, suddenly someone called out for him.

He looked up at the woman, from where he was sitting, drawing sketches. She was about his age, maybe slightly older than him and had a small stature. Her eyes were dark and almond shaped and her hair black, wrapped tightly into a ponytail. She was wearing jeans and boots and yes, Alec definitely knew her from somewhere.

 “Aline? Is that you?”

“In the flesh”, Aline declared proudly, reaching her arms out for a hug from her old friend.

Her face had matured since Alec had last seen her and she’d also become slightly taller. He hadn’t seen Aline since his senior year at high school. Even when she’d graduated and started studying at Juilliard, she’d come to see the musicals he’d directed. Sadly, they’d fallen out of touch after Alec’s graduation.

“What are you doing here?” He hugged her tightly. “Were you cast?”

“Not me, but my girlfriend. I was going to bring her lunch.” Aline smirked, showing him the takeaway bag in her hand.

Aline had been the first person Alec had come out to besides Jace and Isabelle. The lesbian was out and open since middle school and during high school Alec had seen her as a role model as well as a confider. The two had often talked about the difficulties of being queer and the risks of coming out, but they’d also talked about their ideal types. That’s why Alec was currently sorting through the cast members, trying to find out who would match Aline the best.

“It’s Helen, isn’t it?”

“Wow, Lightwood, you’ve got some serious detective skills there”, she laughed. “We’ve been dating for about half a year now, and so far, it’s going really well.”

Alec was glad for her. She deserved a loving and supportive relationship.

“But what are you doing here? I thought you were doing drama at Columbia.”

“I did, but it’s kind of a long story”, he sighed.

The two of them sat down and Alec told her about what had happened the last year while she listened attentively. It was the first time he told someone the story and it felt good to talk about it with someone else than his siblings.

“Oh, Alec, I’m so sorry.”, she pulled Alec into another tight hug.

“Thanks, but I guess it can’t be helped.” He’d already accepted his fate, so he wasn’t as sad as Aline thought he would be. “It’s not like I expected them to turn from homophobes into frontmen of the Pride Parade overnight.”

“Just imagining the ‘I want to speak to the manager’ Lightwoods wearing anything rainbow-ish makes my eyes hurt”, she joked, lifting up the mood at once and the two old friends broke into a fit of shared laughter.

That’s when Alec realised, he’d missed this. He’d missed Aline, so much. He’d missed the two of them together, how they could talk about serious things and yet laugh all the same.

“But everything else is okay?”, she asked after they recovered from laughing, her concern returning.

“I’m fine”, Alec answered without hesitation. It’s what you were supposed to say, he guessed.

“Well, then” The Asian stood up, getting ready to leave. “I should get these to my darling girlfriend. She gets cranky when she’s hungry. Maybe we could meet up for coffee and catch up sometime? My number’s still the same.”

“Sure.”

Alec pondered. _Is everything else okay_ , Aline had asked. No, it wasn’t. He’d messed things up with Magnus, he’d messed up big time. Maybe he could tell her about that. After all, he’d always been able to share his problems with her back when he was a teen.

“Wait, Aline. Could I have your advice on something?”

She nodded, encouraging him to go on.

“I met this guy, his name is Magnus and we became friends quickly.”

Aline’s eyebrows lifted at the mention of _a guy._

“He’s an amazing singer and he wants to be on Broadway. Well, wanted to be. He failed the audition for Cyrus Glen and decided to give up on his dream. Today, we found out they will be re-doing the auditions, so I told him. But then it got out of control. We had a huge fight and now I don’t think he wants to see me anymore.”

“Oh no, that’s rough. He didn’t want the role?”

“He didn’t, he told me no over and over. But I know he wants it and he definitely deserves it. You remember when I encouraged you to try out for Juilliard because I knew you had star quality? He’s the same. I heard him sing one song and just felt like he was born to be on a stage.”

“Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. And now you don’t know what to do?”

Alec nodded.

“Well, whether he wants the role or not aside, you better apologise.”

“I know, it’s just I-I don’t know. I doubt they’d let me into his workplace and I’m sure he won’t answer his phone.”

“You know what? I have an idea”, Aline said and pulled two shiny and slim pieces of paper out of her wallet. _Aladdin_ tickets, for tonight, Alec read as she held it out to him. “You can have these. Go there with him, if he’s a true musical lover, he’ll be sure to forgive you.”

“But what about you and Helen?”

She shook her head. “We’ve seen it already, and we were actually thinking about giving them back and get dinner instead.”

“Thank you, Aline. Really. I’ll invite you for coffee, soon enough. And you’re welcome to bring Helen along.”

“You better bring that Magnus guy, too!”, she shouted, waving as she ran off.

 

 

 

Magnus didn’t have it in him to continue his shift in the afternoon. Fortunately, his boss and co-workers were understanding (mostly because they’d seen his breakdown first-hand) and let him leave early.

Since then he’d been at home, relaxing. He took a bubble bath, ate way too many carbs and binged the latest show on Netflix. After dinner, he was just about to get settled in his armchair with a book and a glass of wine when his doorbell rang.

Magnus was confused. He wasn’t expecting anyone and even his friends would’ve at least called before dropping by. When he got up to open the door, Magnus was met by the last person he was expecting to see.

“Alexander, what are you doing here?” he asked, puzzled.

Magnus wasn’t sure if he should be mad at Alec for visiting him or not. On the one hand, the memory of that morning still haunted him. He’d had crying breakdowns before, just not in public, especially in front of such a huge crowd. Maia had made sure no one had recorded him, but he still felt as if new customers had perceived the incident as a sort of life-action soap opera, played for their own amusement. Also, he’d known most regulars for a long time, so being seen in such a vulnerable state was even more embarrassing. How was he supposed to look them in the eye when serving drinks the next day?

One the other hand, Alec could’ve come over in order to apologise. Being hurt was awful but being hurt by someone you care about was the worst. He liked Alec…a lot and he didn’t want this to ruin their friendship. And since Alec had come over all the way to his apartment, surely their friendship mattered to him as well.

“Wait, how do you even know my address?”, Magnus questioned, realising he’d never told Alec about it.

“I asked Izzy who asked Simon who asked Clary. I-I..had to see you. It-it’s kind of important.”

It was then, that Magnus noticed Alec’s clothes. A blue button-up shirt paired with dark slacks and shining dress shoes. A black blazer was thrown over his shoulders, creating a sophisticated look Magnus wasn’t used to on Alec. He’d only seen the younger man wear his work clothes and good old jeans and sweater combinations so far. He found Alec handsome even when he was covered head to toe in paint but this look, he could admire even more.

“Are you planning to go anywhere fancy?”

“Yes, I am. And you’re coming with me.”

The shorter man remembered he was supposed to be mad at Alec and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why should I?”

For one second, Alec’s posture faltered. But then the man stretched his hand out for Magnus to grasp.

“Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”, Alec emphasised.

Magnus hesitated. Did he trust Alec? We was sure he did before. Did he trust him now, after what had happened that morning? Yes, he admitted to himself, he still did.

“Yes” Timidly, Magnus took hold of Alec’s hand. His grip was tight, enveloping him in warmth.

“Then, let’s go” Alec smiled and let the two outside.

“Wait!” Magnus stopped him, feeling insecure in comparison to his friend’s refined look. “Should I go change?”

“No, you look amazing…as always.” A faint blush appeared on Alec’s cheeks. “Just put on a jacket, it might get cold outside.”

Magnus came back three minutes later, wearing a burgundy jacket with black lapels, one of his favourites, his hair gelled up and a couple rings and necklaces added as the finishing touch.

“This good?”

“Perfect.”

The two left the building and Magnus spotted the Uber parked outside. Alec whispered the address to the driver as they got in, leaving Magnus totally in the dark. Where for heaven’s sake were they going?

“So, where exactly are you bringing me, kidnapper?”, he tried a few minutes in.

“You’ll see.”

Great, no information to get, whatsoever. The rest of the ride was oddly silent, Magnus not pressing the matter anymore. Even though they’d spoken at his apartment before, he could still fill the tension between them, cutting them off like a barrier made of air. That’s why Magnus just stared out of the window, trying to find out where they were headed. Manhattan he figured, midtown as they neared 7th avenue. Then Times Square.

The car came to a halt and to Magnus’s annoyance Alec insisted on blindfolding him the rest of the way. Sighing, he agreed to let the other guide him. At least he’d find out where they were going, soon enough.

“Here, we are!”, Alec announced a while later, removing the blindfold.

They were standing in front of a theatre. And not just one theatre. _Broadway Magic_ was spelled in golden lights on purple background. The sign above it read in even greater letters: _Aladdin, the Musical_.

Magnus’s mouth fell open.

“You’re kidding-“, he turned towards Alec, who shamelessly grinned, flashing two golden tickets in his hand.

“OH MY GOD!”, Magnus screamed, his hands clasping over his mouth. He just couldn’t believe it. They were going to see Aladdin! On Broadway! Every fibre of his being was vibrating with anticipation. He felt like a kid in the candy store, a tennis fan in Wimbledon, a scientist in space. Whatever grudge he held at Alec, whatever events had messed up his day, everything was forgotten as long as he existed in that very moment.

“Balcony good enough for you, Bane?” Alec acted all cocky, but Magnus was informed enough. Alec had to be just as excited as he was. Balcony seats, especially.

“Wait, how could you afford this?”

“That’s none of your worries”, Alec brushed him off. “Besides, it’s a quarter to 8. We should get inside.”

Magnus marvelled at the inside of the theatre. The ground was carpeted with red satin, and golden ornaments adorned the walls. Elegant, yet surprisingly fitting for the setting of the show they were about to see. The two pushed through the crowd, and were finally seated, a view so great Magnus could only remember from his childhood.

His knees started trembling when the curtains were lifted, spotlights turned on and the Overture began, the orchestra falling into a sweet Arabian melody. The Genie entered the stage, narrating the story, followed by the entire ensemble joining into the opening number _Arabian Nights._ There was just so much to see. Temples and dancing and diamonds and singing and flowing skirts and swords and -; Magnus didn’t know where to look.

The song ended on harmonised high notes, and the audience erupted into applause, some giving standing ovations. Magnus fidgeted, trying to contain his excitement. He was transfixed from the very beginning on and smiled to himself, knowing there was just so much more to come.

 

 

After the performance, Magnus was trapped in a daze. Magic, pure magic he had experienced watching that stage and not just because of the Genie or the flying carpet. The acting, the singing, the choreography, the orchestration, the visual effects, everything contributed to a sublime spectacle. He’d seen musicals live before. He’d seen tons of it when he was a child, his mother’s profession allowed him special seats every time. Even then, the only word he could come up with to describe his experience was _magical_. And now, he was able to experience the magic for the first time in years.

Normally, people yearned to be part of the audience, to experience the glamour for themselves. But Magnus felt different. He wanted to be part of the glamour. He wanted to perform, stand on that stage, all spotlights on him. And maybe, people would feel the same magic when watching him than he did now. That’d be his greatest glee.

It made so much more sense now. He’d dismissed his dream, thinking his ambitions had been that of a young, overzealous limelight log. But no, it was so much more than that. To live out his greatest passion and set people’s feelings alight at the same time. It’d been a good dream. It still was.

Singing at the diner was satisfactory enough, but did he really want to spend the rest of his life there? Something, a piece of him, just felt…missing. Something without whom people just couldn’t identify the real Magnus Bane. The real him.

“So…did you like it?”, Alec eventually snapped Magnus out of his blissed state. They had made a quiet agreement to take a stroll through Times Square, needing the fresh air after being seated inside for so long.

“Liked it? I LOVED it. More than words could possibly describe.”               

“That makes me glad.” Alec’s lips lifted upwards, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Something was off, judging by the tension in his broad shoulders.

“Look, Magnus,” he started, the guilt obvious in his uptight composure. “I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry for this morning. I hope this made up for it.”

He took a huge breath.

“I’m sorry for trying to talk you into doing the audition. It’s just – I would love to do musical again. If I had the chance, I’d agree to it in a second, but I don’t have that. So, you not taking this opportunity for yourself made me angry. I was jealous and projecting my feelings onto you and it wasn’t fair of me. I never wanted to force you to anything, my emotions just messed with me and –“

“Alexander, I’m doing it”, Magnus interrupted the man’s nervous rambling.

“What?” Alec’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m doing the auditions”, Magnus repeated, determination sparking in his eyes.

“For real?”

“Yes, for real.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much”, Alec exclaimed and before Magnus knew it broad arms were wrapping around him, catching him in a tight embrace. “Thank you. Thank you.”, he continued murmuring into the crook of Magnus’s neck as Magnus reciprocated the hug, his arms sliding around Alec’s waist.

For one momen, Magnus thought the world had stopped around them, frozen, as if someone had pressed the pause button on a remote. No honking cars, no bypassing people, no Times Square. Just two friends trying to convey their gratitude by sharing their personal space with the other. Alec, grateful for Magnus giving him a chance to relive his bygone dreams and Magnus, grateful for Alec giving him the courage to stand up after a fall, ready to try one more time.

“I have one condition though”, Magnus mentioned once the two untangled themselves from each other. Alec nodded, signalling him to go on.

So far, Magnus had been alone. Whereas he did have precious friends he spent time together with, chasing after his Broadway dream had always been something, he thought he’d only achieve by himself. Maybe that had been the mistake. Maybe he wasn’t meant to go through this alone, after all.

“I want you to help me. With the audition. I want us to do this…together”, he voiced his condition and smiled when Alec eagerly agreed.

Magnus thought back to when he first received the rejection letter. How much he’d felt like a loser, unwilling to fight.

Maybe this time, he won’t be a loser.

Maybe this time, he’ll win.

And maybe, he’d been a winner all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this rollercoaster of a chapter.  
> Next time you'll get a glimpse into Magnus and Alec's preparation for the upcoming audition. Any guesses what song they're gonna rehearse?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this chapter!  
> Feel free to leave kudos and/or a comment here or on my Twitter @HighWarlockVIE <3  
> All my love,  
> Vero


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